In compression/decompression (codec) systems, compression efficiency and video quality are important performance criteria. For example, visual quality is an important aspect of the user experience in many video applications and compression efficiency impacts the amount of memory storage needed to store video files and/or the amount of bandwidth needed to transmit and/or stream video content. For example, a video encoder compresses video information so that more information can be sent over a given bandwidth or stored in a given memory space or the like. The compressed signal or data may then be decoded via a decoder that decodes or decompresses the signal or data for display to a user. In most implementations, higher visual quality with greater compression is desirable.
In some approaches, frame type selections may be made for video frames that are being compressed. For example, the frame types may include intra frames (I-frames) predicted without reference to another frame or frames, predicted frames (P-frames) predicted with reference to another frame or frames and available for use in prediction of other frames, and/or bi-directional frames (B-frames) predicted with reference to another frame or frames but not available for use in prediction of other frames. Other frame types may be available. Furthermore, in some approaches, a video frame may be designated as a golden frame. For example, for a current frame, one or more recent past frames and/or temporally close future frames may typically be made available for coding the current frame (e.g., using motion compensation techniques or the like). In addition, in some implementations, a golden frame such as a more distant past frame, for example, may be made available for coding the current frame. For example, in the VP8 and VP9 video compression formats, which may be particularly advantageous for video streaming, the use of a golden frame is a feature that may be enabled. In such contexts, the selection of which frames are golden frames and the rate control of such golden frames may be important decisions in the resultant video quality and compression. However, current techniques for selecting and providing rate control for golden frame may not provide for high quality video and/or high compression gains.
As such, existing techniques may not provide high visual quality video for users and/or effective compression. Such problems may become critical as the transmission of video at ever higher quality becomes more widespread.